“Oh, I’m sorry.” She waves me forward. “Come on inside.”
I leave my luggage by the door and follow her into the living room. My grandma is sixty-three years young and absolutely stunning. Betty Boop figure, but on the thicker side, plump lips, smooth dark mocha-colored skin, and bouncy gray-streaked, shoulder-length curls… time has amplified her beauty. Most of my assets are courtesy of her.
“Clarence, our grandbaby is here,” she calls upstairs. “Renee, bring your butt outta that kitchen, girl.”
My grandfather slowly hobbles downstairs, years working in the construction field taking a toll on his body, and Aunt Renee emerges from the back.
“Oh my!” she exclaims, embracing me. “You’re so gorgeous.”
My dad’s side of the family is a close-knit bunch.
“Your breasts are big and perky,” my grandmother announces, and my cheeks heat.
“Grandma!”
Next, she grasps my shoulder and spins me around. “And a lot of junk in the trunk too.”
Oh God, please make it stop.
“Bertha, let the child alone,” Granddad says, planting a kiss on my forehead.
“I’m just saying she’s well-developed.”
“I’m going to unpack.”
And find a hole to crawl into.
“Okay, I have the guest bedroom all made up for you, but don’t be too long. Renee and I whipped you up a little something for lunch.”
I return and see thelittle somethingis actually a three-course meal. A gym membership is definitely in my future.
“I love this color,” I gush.
“It’s new,” Mai states, applying another coat of shimmery red gel polish onto my long stiletto-shaped nails.
My grandmother severely overfed me yesterday. If I were a goldfish, I’d be dead. This morning, I grabbed an apple before heading out, to her dismay. Undoubtedly, she had plans to set up a small buffet. I slide my left hand under the UV light, and Mai starts on the right. I haven’t gotten a full set since leaving California.
I’m picky about who services me. All nail techs are not the same. A lesson I’ve learned the hard way. Mai slays me whenever I’m in Fort Washington. My gel pedicure is already done. Once my eyebrows are waxed, I’ll be restored to the L.A. version of Cocoa Matthews. My grandma will have a lot to say. I can hear her now…
“How do you wipe your behind after using the bathroom?”
Someone sits in the chair beside me, and I do a double take.
“Maverick!” I shriek. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
This is not happening, but damn, I can appreciate his sexiness. His attire screamsRebel Without a Cause—leather jacket, white shirt, ripped blue jeans, and black boots… totally panty-dropping. All he requires is a cigarette between his lips and a motorcycle to complete the bad-boy persona. How can someone so beautiful be rotten to the core?
“Get the hell outta here!” I demand, glowering at him.
Mai eyes us uneasily.
“We need to talk,” he replies calmly.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
He shrugs. “Too bad, because I’m not going anywhere until we have a conversation.”
“How did you find me?”
